1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for fabricating a color filter. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for fabricating a color filter using an ink jet process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cathode ray tube monitors (CRTs) have traditionally been used as display devices for televisions (TVs) and computers. Recently, as demands for large-screen display devices have increased, flat panel display devices have become increasingly desirable. Examples of flat panel display devices include liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), electroluminescent (EL) displays, light emitting diode (LED) displays, field emission displays (FEDs), etc. Of these, LCDs are widely used for computer work station monitors and notebook computer displays because of their low power consumption.
The typical LCD creates an image of a desired color by transmitting white light modulated by a liquid crystal layer and includes a color filter to generate color from the white light. The color filter may include a plurality of red (R), green (G) and blue (B) pixels that are arranged in a predetermined pattern on a substrate, e.g., a transparent substrate.
Methods of fabricating the color filter include, e.g., a dyeing method, a pigment dispersion method, a printing method, and an electrode position method. These methods, however, may be inefficient and expensive because a given process must be repeated to form each of the R, G and B pixels. Color filter fabrication methods using an ink jet process may simplify the fabrication process and reduce the fabrication cost.
In order to fabricate a color filter using the inkjet process, ink droplets of a given color (e.g., R, G or B color) may be discharged through nozzles of an inkjet head onto each pixel on a substrate to form a pixel of the given color. Each pixel may be formed by repeating, for a predetermined number of times, one or more printing steps of discharging a predetermined number of ink droplets through an inkjet head. However, abnormal or abortive ejection of ink droplets during the printing steps may occur, which may result in unsatisfactory pixels.